Bringing a New Cat Home: First-Week Care Guide

A new cat may hide, eat less, or act cautious. Set up a safe room, keep food familiar, and build trust slowly during the first week.

CatGarden Editorial TeamPublished 2026/06/04Updated 2026/10/06

New catKittenHome setupCat care

Bringing a New Cat Home: First-Week Care Guide

The first week at home is about safety, not forcing affection. New smells, sounds, and people can make a cat hide or stay alert, and that is normal.

Key takeaways

It's normal for cats to hide, have a poor appetite, and be wary when they first arrive in a new home. Hiding can last from a day or two to a couple of weeks.
In the first week, avoid letting your cat explore the entire house freely. Instead, set up a dedicated room or corner with a hiding spot, food and water bowls, a litter box placed separately from the food bowls, and a small blanket carrying scents from their previous environment.
When your cat first arrives, continue feeding them the same food or wet food they were eating before. After they've settled in for a week or two, gradually transition to new food to avoid digestive upset.
The litter box should be placed in a quiet, easily accessible corner, far from food bowls. Pay close attention during the first week to ensure your cat is using the litter box normally, as this is a key indicator of their adaptation.
When interacting, crouch down, move slowly, and avoid direct eye contact. Use treats or wand toys to encourage them to approach you voluntarily rather than forcing interaction. When your cat shows trust by exposing their belly, kneading, or rubbing against you, it signifies they feel comfortable.

Start Small

Prepare one quiet room or corner with a hiding spot, food, water, and a litter box placed away from the bowls. Let your cat settle in this smaller territory before opening the rest of the home.

Keep Food and Litter Familiar

Use the food and litter your cat already knows at first. Sudden changes during a stressful move can cause stomach upset or litter-box avoidance. After one to two stable weeks, change food or litter gradually.

Build Trust

Move slowly, speak softly, and let the cat approach first. Use treats or a wand toy instead of grabbing or forcing contact. Watch appetite, litter-box use, energy, sneezing, vomiting, or diarrhea; contact a veterinarian if your cat does not eat or seems very unwell.

CatGarden offers curated supplies, cat boarding, and grooming

Book services or shop online.

Shop now

Bringing a New Cat Home: First-Week Care Guide

CatGarden Editorial TeamPublished 2026/06/04Updated 2026/10/06

New catKittenHome setupCat care

The first week at home is about safety, not forcing affection. New smells, sounds, and people can make a cat hide or stay alert, and that is normal.

Key takeaways

It's normal for cats to hide, have a poor appetite, and be wary when they first arrive in a new home. Hiding can last from a day or two to a couple of weeks.
In the first week, avoid letting your cat explore the entire house freely. Instead, set up a dedicated room or corner with a hiding spot, food and water bowls, a litter box placed separately from the food bowls, and a small blanket carrying scents from their previous environment.
When your cat first arrives, continue feeding them the same food or wet food they were eating before. After they've settled in for a week or two, gradually transition to new food to avoid digestive upset.
The litter box should be placed in a quiet, easily accessible corner, far from food bowls. Pay close attention during the first week to ensure your cat is using the litter box normally, as this is a key indicator of their adaptation.
When interacting, crouch down, move slowly, and avoid direct eye contact. Use treats or wand toys to encourage them to approach you voluntarily rather than forcing interaction. When your cat shows trust by exposing their belly, kneading, or rubbing against you, it signifies they feel comfortable.

Start Small

Prepare one quiet room or corner with a hiding spot, food, water, and a litter box placed away from the bowls. Let your cat settle in this smaller territory before opening the rest of the home.

Keep Food and Litter Familiar

Build Trust

One email a month of cat-care tips

Hand-picked care, behavior and grooming tips once a month. Subscribe and we will send you our three most-read articles right away.

Keep reading

Cat Returns Home From Boarding Crying and Doesn't Recognize You? 4 Common Post-Boarding Stress Reactions and Home Care Guide

Cats crying, hiding under the bed, or having loose stools after returning from boarding are usually short-term stress responses caused by a reset of scents and environment, which typically resolve within 24-72 hours. This article guides you through scent resetting in the first hour home and stress-reducing care for the next 72 hours.

Cat Nail Trimming Tools Recommended: A List of Tools That Can Trim Even a Nail-Averse Cat's Claws in Seconds

For cats that hate nail trims, it's usually not the pain but the prolonged restraint they dislike. With the right tools and handling techniques, you can trim one paw in under 10 seconds. This article compares scissor-type, guillotine-type, and electric nail grinders, offering tool recommendations for sensitive cats.

How Thick Should Cat Litter Be? A Guide to Litter Types, Refilling, and Full Changes

For clumping mineral litter, aim for 5–7 cm; for tofu or corn litter, 4–6 cm; and for crystal litter, 3–5 cm. Wood pellet litter in a double-layer box only needs a thin layer of 1–2 cm. This article provides a comparison table for litter thickness, refilling amounts, and full cleaning cycles, along with monthly usage estimates for single and multiple cats.